Gippsland residents promised say on water prices

The Essential Services Commission says water prices will rise in Gippsland if they are justified.

The commission is reviewing Gippsland Water's five-year water plan.

After increasing water prices by 70 per cent in the last plan, Gippsland Water says it wants to increase water prices by almost 1 per cent every year plus inflation.

Essential services commissioner Dennis Cavagna says the public should contact the commission to have a say on the price rise.

"Gippsland Water has fairly high prices, their future expectation is that they won't rise that much over the next five years," he said.

"At this stage we haven't made any commitment, we'll be looking at their capital works, operating expenditures.

"It's important they're both efficient and prudent expenditures."

Mr Cavagna says the commission will consult residents before making its final decision mid-next year.

"After that time we have a further consultation before we make a final determination in June, so we're at that first stage of that consultation of what Gippsland Water would like to do in terms of prices over the next five years," he said.

However, the Gippsland Resource Group says it doubts the Essential Services Commission will act in the interests of residents.

The group's secretary, Merv Geddes, says the commission is responsible for approving the last price rise.

He says people cannot afford to pay their water bills.

"Well water plan three in our opinion is not a concept we should be looking at the moment until the issues the community has with water plan two are resolved," he said.

He says the group is also against Gippsland's Water's plan to install reticulated sewerage to Loch Sport.

He says Latrobe Valley residents are sick of paying for Gippsland Water projects they do not use.

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